DUBAI // A Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department employee has been jailed for taking bribes and approving illegal visa applications.
Emirati F B, 33, received between Dh200 and Dh300 for every illegal application submitted to him by N K, 37, from India, and Pakistani W A, 40.
All three men were found guilty and sentenced to six months in jail each. The Emirati was also ordered to pay a temporary compensation of Dh21,500 to the department.
Dubai Criminal Court was told that on September 23 last year and before then F B received bribes, he forged official documents and then used them. The other men were charged with offering bribes and aiding and abetting F B.
They each denied all of the charges in court.
However, in a confession, the Indian said he met the Emirati at the beginning of 2014 and, shortly afterwards, they began forging residency visa applications. He said some of the applications lacked tenancy contracts, or the people applying did not have a job that entitled them to visas for family members.
The pair were arrested when they met in a cafe and exchanged money for 21 illegal applications. After their arrest, the Pakistani was also apprehended.
M M, a security employee at the residency department, said they received a tip-off about F B. “After an internal investigation that proved his illegal actions, we confronted him and he confessed,” M M said.
The Emirati was asked to cooperate with officials for the arrests of N K and W A, both of whom will be deported after serving their jail terms.
salamir@thenational.ae